In certain emergency situations in aircraft, it is necessary to enrich the breathing air with oxygen. This may be necessary to raise the oxygen level to a level that permits survival of the user in an atmosphere with reduced oxygen partial pressure, e.g., after a drop in the cabin pressure at high altitude. Therefore, breathing masks connected to chemical oxygen generators are arranged in passenger planes in mounting containers that can be closed with a lid above the passenger seats. The passenger chemical oxygen generators contain, in general, an alkali metal chlorate mixture, which releases oxygen, which can be inhaled via the breathing mask, in an exothermic reaction after activation.
The amount of oxygen to be supplied and consequently the size of the chemical oxygen generator depend on the necessary duration of use. A so-called long-range system, in which the chemical oxygen generators must have a prolonged operating time of up to 22 minutes, is needed especially in the case of prolonged descent time from high altitude.
A considerable amount of heat, which heats the outer wall of the generator housing to about 280.degree. C., is generated in the course of the exothermic reaction in the chemical oxygen generator. Since the mounting container is installed, in general, under the so-called hat racks, the temperature of the mounting container may not exceed a predetermined value even during use, in order not to jeopardize the function of the surrounding components. Moreover, since only a limited space is available for installing the mounting container, the necessary heat insulation cannot, in general, be accommodated within the mounting container.
In an embodiment according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,893 (corresponding to DE-A1 36,13,814), the oxygen generator is arranged on the lid of the mounting container, which lid can be opened, and it ensures increased dissipation of heat in the use position. However, the lid attachment of the oxygen generator shows various disadvantages; in particular, because of the considerable weight of the oxygen generator, the lid must be provided with a relatively stable and consequently weight-increasing lid attachment, for which a pivoting range with an angle of 100.degree. is specified to enable the breathing masks to drop freely. In light of these requirements, arranging the oxygen generator on the lid appears to be unsuitable for certain applications.
A mounting container with rigidly installed oxygen generator, in which the heat is dissipated directly onto the mounting container, has been known from, e.g., DE-G 86,11,223.